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Move Over, Louis C.K.: Aziz Ansari Launches $5 Comedy Special Online

Aziz Ansari has joined the ranks of stand-up comedians becoming online entrepreneurs. Ansari, known best for his role on Parks and Recreation, is releasing his new comedy special online for a mere five bucks.

Ansari is also relying on the web and social media to promote his latest endeavor. The actor used Twitter to announce "Dangerously Delicious," his one-hour comedy special, and he's asked his fans to retweet the news.

Using the hashtag #DangerouslyDelicious, he's responding to fans asking questions about the decision.

"I wanted to release it online because I saw how many people viewed clips from my last special online on sites like YouTube," says Ansari on his website. "I also like releasing it myself because there are no commercials, bleeps, or any of that stuff."

Ansari is not the first to take this route. Comedian Louis C.K. recently directed and performed his own stand-up comedy special at the Beacon Theater, which cost around $250,000 to produce.

Ansari says that C.K.'s entreprenuerial route inspired him to do the same.

"After seeing the success of Louis CK's special (which was released in a similar fashion) and numerous people asking me if I would do the same, this seemed like the best route," he wrote.

Fans can download or stream "Dangerously Delicious" from Ansari's website. The download is DRM free, and buyers can download up to five times. For those that would rather stream, it can be viewed three times from the site.

What do you think of the way Ansari and other comedians are going direct-to-fans with comedy specials? Is this the future or will it only work for established acts? Let us know in the comments.

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